Side Window
by Voltaire63
Summary: While recuperating, Murdoch witnesses something he was not meant to see.
1. Chapter 1

Side Window  
Chapter 1

"George! George!"

Constable Crabtree ran toward the sound of the Detective's voice. The loud crash preceding this frantic summons didn't bode well. As he hurried he spied the man that they were chasing bolting from the back of the shed that currently Detective Murdoch was supposed to be investigating. What to do? Should he go after the fugitive or go to the detective?

The decision was made for him when he heard the Detective yell, "George! Catch him!"

Crabtree whirled around and took off after the culprit. Catching up to him, George threw a flying tackle and brought him down.

"Stop struggling. I've got you now."

George rolled the man over and placed the hand cuffs on him. Pulling him to his feet he marched him back to the shed. He wondered why the Detective had not come out to help and got an uneasy feeling in his stomach. Grabbing some twine lying about, George tied his prisoner to the water pump in the yard. Then he started into the shed. Dust was thick in the air yet it was not dark as the sky shone through where the roof used to be.

"Sir? Are you in here?"

In a much weaker voice than his previous yelling George heard a faint, "Over here, George."

Crabtree turned toward the voice and was horrified to find the Detective's lower body buried under rubble.

"Oh, god! Are you hurt, sir?"

"Yes, George. I believe so."

"Let me take a look."

George stepped over debris, careful not to shake anything else loose. It looked like the ceiling had fallen in on top of Murdoch.

"What happened, sir?"

"I'm not sure, but I think Mr. Macklin was hiding here and had the roof rigged to fall to allow him to escape. Did you catch him, George?"

"I got him, sir, tied up outside. Now let's see if I can get you out of this."

Murdoch sighed, as much in resignation to his plight as to the pain he was in. George moved a board and Murdoch cried out.

"Sorry, sir. I'm afraid I'll hurt you even more if I try to move anything else."

"George, I can't stay here. You'll have to do the best you can."

"I think it's best if I went for help. I won't be long. Can you hang on a bit longer?"

"I guess I'll have to. But do hurry. Alright?"

Murdoch closed his eyes and went into a kind of meditative trance to take his mind off the awful throbbing in his legs. Crabtree grabbed his prisoner, tossed him in the carriage and sped back to the station house.  
Brackenreid himself led the team that returned to dig out their detective. Dr. Grace was along as well.

"Murdoch. Murdoch." Brackenreid called softly to the detective, who by now was quite unconscious.

"Move over, Inspector." Emily elbowed her way in. She lifted William's hand and felt his pulse. "It's strong. But get him out of here fast."

Constable Jackson stood looking at the situation for a moment. "I think we need to move these beams first. Don't want to bring any more of this down on the rest of us."

"Well get on with it, lads."

When they finally got the last piece of lumber off of him, George and Higgins dragged him out into the yard. Brackenreid followed, carrying William's hat. Emily cut his pant legs open.

"Definitely one broken leg. I'm not sure about the other. I'll splint them both. Then you need to take him to the hospital."

She didn't try to rouse him because she knew he would be in a lot of pain as the men transported him. Best to let him remain unconscious for the time being.

The Inspector had telephoned Julia from the hospital. She set off immediately from the Asylum to meet him there.

"Where is he? How is he?"

"Calm down, Doctor. It looks like he has a broken leg...or two."

"Or two! What happened?"

Brackenreid explained to her the circumstances as they sat in the waiting area. It wasn't long before Doctor Mason found them.

"Dr. Ogden?" he said, surprised to find a colleague sitting there.

"Yes. Well, it's Doctor Murdoch now. That's my husband you've been treating."

"Indeed! You can see him now."

"And how is he?"

"His left leg has two breaks and his right ankle is fractured. I'm afraid he'll be in a wheelchair for a while."

"Oh, he won't like that."

"No, I suppose he won't. But I don't want him putting any weight on either leg for a few weeks at least. Then we can see about crutches."

"But his legs should heal alright?"

"Yes, Doctor. With patience he should fully recover."

Now that she knew he would eventually be alright she despaired a little thinking of how difficult a patient he was going to be. William never had the patience for inactivity. It would be a long month or so.

Julia peeked around the door. William lay abed with both legs elevated on pillows. He was pale but awake.

"Hi, sweetheart." She smiled at him.

"Julia, I'm sorry," he said sadly.

"Sorry? William you didn't break your legs on purpose, did you?"

"No, of course not. But I'm going to be such a burden for a while."

She sat beside him, took his hand, then leaned over and kissed him. As she pulled back she noted his eyelids getting droopy.  
"You've had a sedative. Try to go to sleep. I'll be right here."

Yawning, "You don't need to stay. I'll be fine."

"William, you're always fine, or so you say. Let me take care of you until you really are fine. Now go to sleep."

"Yes, dear."

He closed his eyes and was asleep in seconds.


	2. Chapter 2

Side Window  
Chapter 2

Three days in the hospital almost drove him crazy. For two days he wasn't even allowed out of bed. Finally he got to sit in a wheelchair for a little while on the third day. By now he could no longer tolerate his surroundings. He begged Julia to talk the doctor into letting him go home.

"Please, Julia. I can't stand it here any longer. I want to go home. We can hire a nurse if you think I need a keeper."

Julia took his hand, smiling.  
"I know how unhappy you are. I'll talk to your doctor. I believe taking you home now will not be a problem."

The next day Julia made arrangements to take her husband home. It was easier said than done. Getting William into a carriage was a feat unto itself. So much care had to be taken not to jar his legs. Insisting he be dosed with morphine for the arduous journey, Julia had then asked George and Inspector Brackenreid to manage the logistics of moving him. William was so groggy that he was rather a limp noodle for the two men to maneuver. Upon arrival at their home, George and Thomas carried the detective upstairs to his bed without his fully waking. Then George brought up the wheelchair.

"Well...that's done," sighed Julia. "I'll take it from here, gentlemen. Thank you for your assistance."

"Please let us know if you need any help, Doctor," the Inspector added.

"Yes, I definitely shall. I'm sure I'll be calling on you both to help entertain him."  
The two men smiled and nodded knowingly.

Julia went about moving things in the bedroom to accommodate the wheelchair while William continued his drugged sleep. When she heard him stirring she went to his bedside.

"Hello, Love. You're home now."

He grinned. "So it seems. Must have slept through that one."

"Indeed you did. Do you feel better now?"

"I do. Can I get up?"

"Well...alright. If you want."

She moved the wheelchair next to the bed and helped him slide into it. As she started to push him toward one of the windows, he spoke.

"I can do it."

He proceeded to roll himself across the room, smiling broadly. The bedroom was located at the corner of the house. There was a front facing window toward the street and a side window toward the neighbors house and backyard. The sun was out, birds were singing and William couldn't stop his smile. He was so delighted to be away from the sterile halls of the hospital. However happy he appeared, Julia worried that in a couple of days confinement to the top floor of the house would be just as annoying to him as the hospital had been.

William spent a few days sitting by the light of the window reading from a stack of books and journals that Julia had acquired for him. He napped quite often in his chair, the shock of his injuries still affecting him greatly. For a little diversion she had asked George to move her phonograph to the bedroom as well. She had even gotten him a couple of goldfish to watch. After spending two days at home with William, Julia really needed to return to work. She had patients who required her attention. But she didn't want to leave him alone all day in his helpless condition. Earlier he had suggested hiring a nurse, but she was sure he only said that to finagle his release from the hospital. If asked, Julia knew he would say that he was alright alone. She knew better. Deciding to compromise, Julia arranged for someone to come by everyday at lunch to make sure he ate something and help him with whatever he needed at the moment. He agreed at last to this plan, though insisting he would be fine alone until she came home for the evening. Somehow she felt this scheme was not going to work for long. William could be quite stubborn at times. They were very much alike in that respect.

* * *

So, Julia rose early to dress for work. As much as she tried to be quiet and not wake William his internal clock did. She looked back at him, surprised to see his big brown eyes watching her, and with a lusty grin on his face.

"I wasn't going to wake you until I was ready to leave. Now we can have breakfast together."

He reached out to her as she came close, pulling her to him for a passionate kiss. When they parted, Julia giggled.  
"Detective, you must be feeling better."

"A little achy, but I'm good."

"George is coming by for lunch today."

"I look forward to it."

Julia helped him into his chair, to wash up and shave. Then she brought a light breakfast and tea to their room, which they ate at the small table there.

"You are sure you'll be alright, William?"

"Yes, Julia. I'll be fine. Now go, already."

William wheeled over to the windows. He had a book in his lap that he intended to read, but he got distracted looking out the window. There really was a lot of activity in their neighborhood. Besides the various people, William saw a number of bird species that he was unsure of. He would have to remember to have George bring his bird identification book from the office-and his binoculars as well. After a couple of hours his head began to nod. Eventually he fell asleep with his chin resting on his chest.  
Julia had hidden a key under a rock so that visitors could enter when she wasn't there to let them in. George used that key to let himself in.

Climbing the stairs he called, " Sir! It's George."

He got no response. As he entered the room he saw the detective in his wheelchair, his back to George.

"Sir?"

Still no answer. Stepping around to face him, George smiled. Murdoch was sound asleep. George retreated downstairs to the kitchen to make tea and retrieve the lunch that Julia had left them. When he returned he gently shook William's shoulder.

"Sir. Wake up. It's lunch time."

William jerked awake.  
"George! I'm sorry. I guess I nodded off."

"That's quite alright, sir. I'm sure you needed the rest. I've got our lunch. I hope you're hungry."

They ate and talked, George giving Murdoch news of the latest crimes that Station Four was currently dealing with.

"George, would you do me a favor?"

"Anything, sir."

"Could you bring me some things from my office?"

"Certainly. What do you need?"

"My binoculars, night vision apparatus, and my Birds of North America book."

"Ah. You're getting into bird watching then."

"Among other things. Care to play a game of chess?"

"Er...I don't really play chess."

"I'll show you. You'll like it. It's all about kings and queens and knights. It'll be fun."

George smiled. He'd never really heard Detective Murdoch talk about having fun.  
"Alright sir. I've been meaning to learn for some time."

George enjoyed the game, as Murdoch turned out to be a patient teacher. But after a while William began to get sleepy again.

"Sir, maybe you should lie down for a bit. You look very tired."

"Yes, George. I think I should."

When Julia got home, William was still asleep in bed. Smiling, she kissed his forehead, waking him.

"How long have you been sleeping, dear?"

"All afternoon I guess. I couldn't hold my eyes open."

"I'm afraid you might not be able to sleep tonight. But we'll see. You do need the rest. Oh, George brought these things by for you. He said you asked for them."

"Indeed. Just put them on the table by the window."

After helping him into his wheelchair, Julia brought up their dinner. It wasn't dark yet, so after dining Julia went about her evening routine for an hour or so as William continued his bird watching, now aided by his binoculars and book. He could not help but notice that the house next door stood with all its curtains open. Movement at one of the windows diverted his attention. To him it looked like the couple were arguing quite animatedly. As he stared at the ruckus next door, he began to get sleepy again. Ever since his injury he seemed to sleep more and more. Julia explained to him that it was his body's way of helping him heal. To him it was a troublesome interruption which felt out of his control. His eyelids felt so heavy as he blinked slowly over and over. Just as he started to fall sleep again a movement in the neighbors' window caused him to jerk his head up. He could swear that he saw the wife, one Flora Booth, strike her husband, Joshua Booth, with a fireplace poker. As he stared he made eye contact with her as the curtains were suddenly drawn.

"Julia!" he called urgently. "Come here!"

Julia came running up the stairs. William was not in the habit of summoning her so abruptly.  
"William! What is it? Are you alright?"

"Julia, I think I just saw Mrs. Booth kill her husband."

"Oh, William! Be serious. You must have been dreaming. You are sleeping quite a bit lately."

"No. I was awake. I saw her hit him with a poker!"

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"No...I'm not."

"Then shall I go next door and check for you?"

"I'm afraid that might not be safe for you."

Julia looked at him with her brows raised, smiling all the time.  
"I've known Mrs. Booth for over a year. I don't think she's a deranged murderer."

"But I saw it. Call George. He can check."

"Alright, William. I'll call George, just for your peace of mind." But under her breath she said, "I still think you were dreaming."

* * *

"Sir, Mrs. Booth said her husband hasn't been home all week. He's in Montreal on business."

"But I saw them arguing."

"Mr. Booth's brother was there however. Perhaps that's who you saw."

"No, no. I know Joshua Booth when I see him."

"Well sir, there was no sign of him."

"Did you search the house?"

"No sir. I didn't have a warrant. But everything seemed fine. You must have been dreaming."

"I WAS NOT DREAMING!" he shouted.

"Calm down, William. George, did she say when Mr. Booth is due to return?"

"Not until next week."

"Then we will just have to wait, won't we, dear?"

"But Julia...I saw..."

She cut him off. "William, you cannot just go about accusing people of murder. You've suffered a very serious injury. It's affected you more than you realize. You need rest, not some fictitious murder to solve."

She walked over to him, stroked his cheek, smiled and kissed his forehead.  
He swallowed and dropped his gaze.  
"Alright...for now."

* * *

"You're right, Julia. I'm not very sleepy. You go ahead to bed. I'll sit up for a while."

"Alright, Love. Wake me if you need anything."

William rolled back over to the window where there was a lamp and began to read his book. Instead of making him drowsy, reading seem to wake him up more. A movement outside the window caught his eye. He turned off the lamp. By the dim glow of the street lamp he spied what he thought was an owl sitting on a tree branch in the side yard. Bird watching in the dark hadn't been primary on his list of activities, but he reached for his night vision goggles just the same. As the scene before him virtually lit up he noticed activity next door. Ah, the lady and her brother-in-law were at the back door, but he couldn't see much further due to the angle of his window. Turning to call to Julia, he stopped himself. She would just tell him to stop snooping on his neighbors. The two had ventured into the back yard, but he wasn't able to see what they were doing. He maneuvered his chair around so he could open the window, whereupon he tried leaning out so he could extend his field of vision further toward the back yard. With his night vision apparatus he clearly saw the two neighbors carrying a large bundle between them. But he did not go unobserved himself, as both conspirators looked directly at him. He quickly drew back inside.


	3. Chapter 3

Side Window  
Chapter 3

Julia awoke to a draft blowing over her. She checked the table side clock. It was 5:15 am. Then she noticed that William was not in bed. Looking toward the open window she saw him. He had slept the whole night in his wheelchair.

"Oh, William." She whispered to her self. "This is not good."

She closed the window and pushed William back toward the bed.

"Love, wake up." She kissed his cheek. Slowly he opened his eyes. He felt drugged, and cold and stiff. "Let me get you into bed. The Inspector can help you back to your chair when he comes for lunch."

"Julia!" he spoke at last. "I saw them. They were moving the body to the back yard."

"William, not this again. You need to get some proper rest."

"No! I saw it!"

"Come on. I'll take you to the bathroom and then into the bed."

He allowed her to assist him.

"You can discuss this with Thomas, when he gets here. For now I want you to have a little breakfast and lie down properly for a while. You need to get into a better routine. You can't be up all night like this."

"Why not? I have nothing else to do," he said petulantly.

"Well for one thing, I miss you next to me at night." She smiled and kissed him tenderly.

He relaxed his attitude a little and smiled back.

"You'll get better, Love. I promise you won't be sleepy all the time forever. It just takes time for your body to adjust. Your injuries are severe whether you want to admit it or not. As you heal you'll have more awake time. Just be patient."

He smiled and sank into his comfortable bed. It did feel good to lie down. He was asleep again before she could return with their breakfast.

* * *

Thomas entered the quiet house. Julia had called him to warn him that William would probably still be asleep. And just as she said, Murdoch was sound asleep.

"Well", he said to himself, "it's time to get you up and awake, me ol' mucker."  
"Murdoch, wake up. Time to rise and shine." He gently shook the detective.

William's eyes flew open and he jerked awake.  
"Oh, Inspector. Lunch time already?"

"Indeed it is. Let's get you out of bed and cleaned up."

Thomas helped William in the bathroom. When he was washed and shaved they rolled back to the bedroom.

"I'll get our food and tea. Sit here and read a book for a minute."

"Sir, there's something I need to discuss with you."

"Yes. The doctor hinted at that. We'll talk while we eat."

* * *

"I'm positive that Mrs. Booth murdered her husband."

"Bloody hell! Murdoch. Didn't you say Crabtree went over there and checked it out?"

"Yes...but last night I saw them moving the body."

"Oh, really!" The inspector looked at William skeptically. "Then I guess you want me to go over there again and see for myself?"

"Yes, I do."

"Murdoch, I can't just go over there and accuse this woman of murder because you saw something when you were half asleep, spying out your window."

"I know, but I was not asleep...or dreaming. Can't you just go into my yard and look over into the Booth yard for freshly turned earth?"

"Alright. But if I don't see anything out of the ordinary, I want you to drop all this. Agreed?"

"Er...um..."

"Agreed?!"

"Alright," he mumbled under his breath. But in his mind he knew he would not drop it. He knew he was right.

* * *

Thomas stepped out the back door of the Murdoch house with some trash he had taken out in order to have a reason to look around. As he lifted the trash bin he looked over into the Booth yard. Nothing looked out of place to him. He walked farther into the yard, picking up a few small limbs that had blown down. Glancing back he could just see Murdoch at the window. The neighbor's yard seem undisturbed, yet he could only see parts of it. There was a small garden shed which of course he could not see into. And it appeared to have a large, shiny new padlock on it. To himself he muttered, "I guess there could be some hanky panky going on in there, although I doubt it."

* * *

"Alright, Murdoch, granted. Something could have gone on in the shed. But we can't just go over there and look, you know."

"I know...legally."

"What do you have in mind, me ol' mucker?"

"A little midnight foray, maybe?"

"I know I'm going to regret saying this, but what do you propose?"

"I have lock picks."

"But you can't go over there. You do realize that?"

"Of course I do. But I can show you and George how to use them."

"Oh, so now we drag in Crabtree!? And where will your wife be while all this is going on?"

"Yes. I've been pondering this. She would not approve. Perhaps Dr. Grace can arrange a little late evening entertainment...like a play or concert."

"I'm not sure I approve. Do you think the doctor would leave you alone at night in your condition?"

"Maybe...if you or George were with me."

"Alright, Murdoch. But after this if we don't turn up anything you drop it...Well?"

"Alright," he sighed. It was all he could do.

* * *

William had George give Emily two tickets to a play for that night, Shaw's _Mrs_. _Warren's_ _Profession_. It was quite controversial so he was sure Julia would want to see it. George told Emily that he would baby sit Detective Murdoch, who really wanted to give his wife a break from taking care of him. Perhaps she could convince Dr. Murdoch to attend with her. Julia came home early to talk to William about the upcoming evening.

"William, are you sure you'll be alright."

"I am, Love. George will be here until you get home. You deserve a little fun. Go to dinner, enjoy the play."

She kissed him. "Then I guess I'll go. I'll tell you all about it when I get home."

* * *

Julia's carriage had arrived but George wasn't there yet. She hesitated leaving him.

"I'm sure he'll be along soon. Go on dear."

"Alright. Rest. Don't let George wear you out."

She kissed him and left.  
William rolled over to his window. Lights were on next door. He could see movement. It would be dark soon and in a few hours the neighbors would probably be asleep. Then the small bedroom clock chimed 9:00, and yet neither George nor the Inspector had arrived.

* * *

"Sir, the detective is expecting us. And we can't call him, because their telephone is on the first floor."

"Emergencies cannot be predicted, Crabtree. He'll be alright for a while. I don't think anything untoward is going on next door anyway. He just needs a little proof. We' ll get there."

Station House Four had experienced a sudden unexpected spate of crimes tying up all available personnel. George and Thomas were late in going to Murdoch's and weren't sure when they could get away.

* * *

Having been awake since a bit before noon, William now found himself nodding off, unable to hold his eyes open. As he looked out the window he fell asleep, unaware of the new activity next door. Mrs. Flora Booth and her brother in law were on their way to William's house. Well aware of the hidden key, they quietly let themselves in.


	4. Chapter 4

Side Window  
Chapter 4

The two Booths crept up the stairs silently. Having been watching his house as much as he was watching theirs, they were fully aware that Detective Murdoch was quite alone.

"We are in luck, my dear," whispered Howard Booth to his sister in law. "He seems to be asleep. We just have to roll him over to the top of the stairs, then push. It will look like a terrible accident."

"Thank god! He was making me nervous, watching all the time. I know he's seen too much."

Tiptoeing into the bedroom they approached William. But he had heard them entering the house and was fully awake. He had no weapons about him but he was on the far side of the table. If he could keep away and maybe keep them talking surely George and the Inspector would show up. But there were two of them. He didn't think he could last long on his own. As they approached William lifted his head, surprising his assailants.

"Well, well, Detective. I guess taking you unawares is out of the question now, isn't it?"

"I must say, I'm amazed to find you here. I'll not be alone for long. Perhaps you should give yourselves up...or if that is not agreeable to you, maybe you have time to get away."

Laughing, Howard Booth continued coming at William.  
"But you are alone, Detective. We saw your wife leave for the evening. She probably won't be back for hours."

As they spoke William kept rolling his chair in order to keep furniture between him and them, and talking.  
"What had Joshua Booth done to you that required his murder?"

"He would not give Flora a divorce."

"Ah... So the two of you could be together, eh?"

"Of all people, you, Detective, should identify with the situation."

"But I did not kill my rival. Someone else did."

"How fortuitous for you then."

"You don't think you will get away with this, do you? I have told others about your actions."

"Yet they didn't believe you, did they Detective? Or we would have been arrested by now."

"Get on with it, Howard...so we can get out if here."

Howard Booth lunged for William, who pushed away from the table. But William was out of room to maneuver now and Booth reached for the chair. William grabbed at his hands, but Flora helped her brother in law. They began to push William out the doorway toward the stairs, but he grabbed the jambs, holding as tight as he could, bringing their forward movement momentarily to a halt. The two Booths pushed in concert to loosen William's grip. He had no choice but to get out of his wheelchair or tumble down the staircase. As he quickly let go of the door jambs, he placed his hands on the chair arms, pushing himself upright. The pain was exquisite but he managed to stumble forward a few steps. The chair was now between him and his assailants. His only avenue of escape was down the stairs or into the other bedroom or the bathroom. The staircase is where the Booths wanted him. One push and he was done for. So he tried to stagger toward the bedroom. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion from William's perspective. He could feel his heart pounding and blood rushing in his ears. Thinking it would all be over too soon he jerked his head toward the sound of the front door opening. At last he thought, George and the Inspector had arrived. But no. Hearing the lovely voice of his wife instead, as she called to him, he sighed in despair.

"Gentleman, I'm back," she called, assuming George and William were upstairs together.

"Julia, run! Hurry!"

Julia stopped cold, listening to the voices from upstairs. In addition to William's she also heard a man's and a woman's voices, neither of which was George's. William had made it to the other room at last, slamming the door, locking it, and leaning against it. He knew he wouldn't be able to stand much longer. Howard Booth was hurrying down the stairs, after Julia. She, in the meantime had debated between fleeing back out the front door or finding a weapon and going to William's defense. There was only one option as she grabbed the fireplace poker and stood her ground. She would not abandon her husband...ever. When Booth rounded the corner from the steps, she struck him as hard as she could. He fell like downed tree.

"William?" she called up the steps. No answer. At least one other person was up there. She had heard the voice when she came in.

Flora didn't know what to do. Everything was coming apart. Murdoch was still alive and Howard's fate was unknown to her for now.

"Flora? Is that you? Come down now. It's all over. You can't win."

But Flora wasn't ready to give up yet. Perhaps she could trade Murdoch for her escape.  
"I've got your husband. I won't hurt him if you let me go."

William knew Julia wouldn't be able to hear him from behind the door. She would think he was in danger. Flora's voice was just on the other side of the door. Slowly, quietly he turned the lock, then suddenly threw open the door, knocking Mrs. Booth over. By now Julia had ascended to the second floor where she found Flora and William both lying on the floor. She wanted to go to William, but thought it more expedient to restrain Flora first. William lay with his eyes closed, breathing heavily.

"Oh, William! Oh, William!"

"I'll be fine, Julia," he whispered between gritted teeth.

She couldn't help but smile as her tears rolled down her cheeks. She had never known him not to say he was fine, when of course he was not.  
Again there were voices, but these were downstairs. It seems George and the Inspector had arrived at last.

"Bloody hell! What's going on here?"

* * *

The Booths had been arrested and taken away. George lifted a pale William and carried him to his bed. Telephoning the hospital, Julia reached Dr. Mason, asking him to pay house call.

"I'm sorry, me ol' mucker, for not really believing you. We've found Joshua Booth's body in the shed. But I never would have thought you would be in danger."

"We're all sorry, Love." Julia stroked his forehead.

Dr. Mason pronounced William not too much the worse for wear. He gave him a large injection of morphine and they all left him to rest. Julia saw everyone out, then returned to the bedroom. By now William was fast asleep. She watched him for a moment, then climbed into bed, hugging him to her. She sobbed quietly, aware of how close she had come to losing him.

* * *

The next weeks were exceedingly boring for Murdoch, much as Julia had predicted. He was often cranky and out of sorts. No one seemed to be able to keep him amused for long. He read mounds of books, identified dozens of birds as well as various small mammals, and played endless games of chess with George. When he was finally allowed crutches, his smile was a yard wide. He could leave the house at last.

"Never do I want to be confined like this again."

"I agree, Love. Let's try to keep you healthy and mobile in the future."

They walked slowly under the trees as William beamed at his newfound freedom.


End file.
